Mode of constructing reinforced-concrete ships, barges, floating structures, and thelike



I 1 E 0. WILLIAMS.- MODE 0F CONSTRUCTING REINFORCED CONCRETE SH'IPS. BARGES, FLOATING STRUCTURES, AND

THE LIKE.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAY 15, 19l8- 1,353,107. I PatentedSept; 14,1920.

4 SHEETS-$ HEET I.

L .l L L. L

' ..I7zvntor:

Evan O/wen William,

E. 0. WILLIAMS. MODE or consmucnm; REINFORCED CONCRETE SHIPS, ,BARGES, momma STRUCTURES, AND

THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1918.

1,353,107. Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ettaza Qwen Wilflidma,

E; 0. WILLIAMS. MODE 0F CONSTRUCTING REINFORCED CONCRETE SHIPS, BARGES, FLOATING STRUCTURES, AND

THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED MAY15, 1918.

Patented Sept. 14,1920.

.4 S HEETSSHEET 3.

v E. 0. WILLIAMS. MODE 0F CONSTRUCTING REINFORCED coucanE SHIPS, BARGES, FLOATING STBUCTUREST'AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1am.

4.SHEETS -SHEET 4- E130 36 3a [7a] 3 lhuentor:

Evan Qwen Till china,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVAN OWEN VILLIAMS, OF PARKSTGNE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAMS FOREIGN PATENTS LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MODE OF CONSTRUGTING- REINFORCED-CONCRETE SHIP S, BARGES, FLOATING STRUC- TUB/ES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application filed May 15, 1918. Serial No.- 234,764..

T0 all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVAN OWEN WIL- LIAMS, B. So, AL. M1 I. C. E., a-subjectof the King of- Great Britain, residing at Shaston, Ardmore Road, Parkstone, Dorsetshire, England, have invented certain new and'usefulImprovements in the Mode of Constructing Reinforced-Concrete Ships, Barges, Floating Structures, and the-like, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a modeof constructing reinforced concrete ships, barges, floating structures andthe like-whereby the erection of such structures is greatly simplified and' accelerated.

Reinforced concrete structures aregenerally built -with the aid of standardized moldsof appropriate shapeand' usually assembled so as to form betweenthem or between themand any falsework or centering employed at the same time the cavitatedform ornegative' of the actual reinforced concrete structure or part thereof tobe ultimately molded.

Now, this invention consists in the provision of non-collapsible unit-standardized box-shaped molds and of specific accessories likewise standardized for use in conjunction with particular molds so that by the combined use of particular units in a particular manneraccording to this invention a mode of constructing reinforced concrete ships is. established by which most of the defectsinherent in the methods hithertoemployed are entirely avoided and reinforced concrete structures of the kind referred to may be erected with greater rapidity and reliability than heretofore.

These non collapsible molds, for greater convenience and according to the purposes for which they areintended are hereinafter referred to. as mold boxes, chute boxes, troughs orshutters, and where such molds, as is preferable are constructedof timber or: other wearing material'metal bushes are, if necessary employed in all or any holes therein to -counteract wearand for the same purposes the exposed surfaces may be lined with a sheathing of thin sheet metal to protect the material from disintegration caused by the concrete.

Thecharacteristics of this invention will now be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example some specific forms of mold boxes and the method of their application in the construction of different parts of reinforced concrete structures.

. Figure 1 represents in horizontal section in connection with the construction of the bottom of a ship with transverse and longitudinal stiffening ribs thereon mold and chute boxes and other accessories employed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 shows in a similar section the use of superposed or sectional mold boxes and the chute boxes employed in conjunction therewith.

Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2 to a reduced scale showing the chute boxes in position on the mold boxes.

Fig. l is a cross section of the transverse bottom ribs showing the manner of: molding the inner slab for the double bottom on the top of'the ribs.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of Fig. 4: showing an alternative method of supporting slabs on the top of the ribs.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a single skin wall and deck of a ship andthe troughs and other accessories employed for its construction.

Fig. 7 is a. longitudinal section of this wallon the line VIIJVII of. Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an inside view of Fig. 6.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, iii-order toconstruct the bottom slab 16 of a ship and the transverse and longitudinal stiffening ribs 1'7v thereon, blocks, 18, preferably of timber are wedged up by wedgeslt) on appropriate supports 20. Troughs or molds 21 of timher or any suitable material are then slipped in from the side of the boat in the recesses formed in the blocks 18 and wedged. up by the wedges 22 until the correct alinement of the upper surfaces of the troughs is obtained. For the purpose of attaching the troughs 21 to the blocks 18'coach screws'23 or the like may be employed. The length of the, troughs 21 is measured in the direction of the distance between adjacent keel blocks 20 and the width of these troughs so chosen astomake the total weight of a trough unit convenient for handling. When all the bottom troughs are in position the slab 16 is cast thereon and after a suitable period has elapsed, the troughs 21 are removed by releasing the coach screws 23 and the wedges *the soi ot 'oints 29.

when the troughs will drop on to the shoulders of the blocks 18, 1S and can be slid out to the side of the boat. This enables the main part of the centering in the bottom'ofaship to be readily removed in complete units. l/loreover, these bottom troughs can thus be removed in the minimum time with the advantage that any minor defects in the surface of the bottom slab may be remedled before the concrete is in its final hardened state.

After the bottom slab 16 has been cast and formed, mold boxes 24 are placed in position on" the top of the slab 16 and maintained at their correct distance one from the other by stiffening blocks 25 and bolts 26.

As shown, each mold box 24 consisting either of wood or metal or other suitable Inatcrial has its top and bottom left open. The sides preferably taper to inward from the top to the bottom so that when the mold boxes are placed correctly on the bottom slab they resemble frustum of pyramids with the larger ends uppermost. These mold boxes are placed on the bottom slab and arranged in rows transversely and longitudinally in a cellular fashion so that the spaces formed between them represent in fact, the ultimate shape of the ribs to be cast. Each mold box is provided at the topwith an inner projecting lip or flange 27 adapted to support the chute box 28. Each chute box 28 consists preferably of 'four inclined surfaces and is truncated by a fia top as shown on which the workmen stand when punning the concrete in the ribs 17. Where the ribs 17 are fairly deep it is preferable to form the mold boxes 24 in two or more sections as shown in Fig. 2. In this case the chute boxes 28 are first placed on the lips 27 of the lower sections and when the concrete has reached the top of these lower sections the chute boxes 28 are lifted and the next or upper section of the mold box 24 is placed in position on the last and connected in alinement therewith by The chute box 28 is then placed on the projections 27 of the upper section 24 and the concrete carried on to the top of the latter. The cellular arrangement of these mold and chute boxes will be readily understood from the illustration shown in Fig. 3.

For the purpose of producing a double bottom and toform the upper slab or inner skin thereof reinforced concrete slabs 29 which'have been previously cast are spanned between the tops of. the ribs 17. These slabs 29 bear on the ribs 17 asshown at 30 in Fig. 4, and when the reinforcement has been placed in position on top of the slabs 29 the inner bottom slab 16 is molded or castthereon. The previously molded slabs 29, therefore, form in this case the centering to support the top slab 16 while it is being cast and they also insure that the reinforcement shall have a" covering of concrete at least equal to the thickness of the slabs 29.

In Fig. 5 the slabs 29 are shown supported on projections 17 specially formed or molded on the ribs 17.

' In constructing a vertical wall of a single slab 2 an outer centering 31 may be employed as hitherto for the outer surface thereof, as shown in Fig. 6. 32 is the horizontal stiffener or rib on the inner surface, and 33 shown in Figs. 7 and 8, are the vertical stiffening ribs to be formed thereon. To form the inner surface and the horizontal and vertical stiffening ribs, troughs or troughs may be connected one with the other.

The sides of the troughs or forms forming the sides of the vertical concrete ribs are tapered as shown in Fig. 7 so that the horizontal widths of the troughs are greater at the open sides than at the opposite closed sides. These troughs are placed one above the other and preferably bolted together by vertical bolts 35. In a horizontal sense they are held apart by spacing blocks 36 and held together by screw bolts 37. To form the inner faces of the ribs 33 a vertical strip or board 38 is attached to the troughs 34 by screws or other lmown means. To form the faces on the horizontal stifiening ribs 82 a horizontal strip or board 39 is fitted between the strips 38 and the concrete is continued until the strip 39 is reached. The next unit 34 is then placed directly on top of the concrete rib 32 and connected through the latter by a bolt 40 to the lower unit 34 as shown. In this way the vertical wall is gradually built up and in order then to form the deck slab 1 projecting from the side of the ship, special unit troughs 41 shaped for the particular purpose are em ployed. These troughs 41 are placed in position on top of the uppermost troughs 34 and the end of each trough 41is properly supported by a strut 42. Each trough 41 is preferably connected by a bolt 43 to the centering 81 of the outer surface of the slab 2, the bolts 43 being preferably above-the water line.

IVhat I claim and desire to protect by Let ters Patent is 1. In combination with the bottom slabsof a concrete construction upwardly flaring box shaped molds resembling frustums of as described.

2. In combination with box shaped molds tapered upwardly and open at top and bottom, said molds being arranged with spaces between them to receive concrete, and chute boxes having downwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces seated on the mold boxes, and having flat tops, said chute boxes covering the interior of the mold boxes and directing the material to the rib forming spaces between them and being interchangeable in respect to molds.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my 20 signature in presence of two witnesses.

EVAN OWEN WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

JUSTIN ERWIN PoLLAK, GEORGE ISAAC BRIDGES. 

